Ground of Aces
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Aircraft Roster

The Airplanes of GROUND OF ACES

Every machine you can build, maintain and send on a mission — from the last biplane fighter of the RAF to the first jets.

Base game

Airplanes of the Base Game

  • Gloster Gladiator Mk I
    Gloster Gladiator Mk I im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Gloster Gladiator Mk I

    The Gloster Gladiator was a single-seat biplane fighter and the last biplane fighter to serve with the Royal Air Force. It entered service as the RAF's standard fighter from 1937 and was still flying in Norway, Greece, North Africa, and over Malta during the Second World War.

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    It was the first RAF fighter with an enclosed cockpit and four machine guns instead of two. Against monoplane fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 it was clearly outclassed in speed and climb rate, and its fabric-covered wings made it vulnerable to fire. Its significance lies in bridging the transition from the biplane to the monoplane generation, a gap it still had to cover in frontline service.

    Manufacturer
    Gloster Aircraft Company
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 9.83 m · Length 8.36 m
    Engine
    Bristol Mercury IX, 830 hp
    Armament
    4 × 7.7 mm MG Browning
    Top speed
    407 km/h
    Service ceiling
    10 000 m
  • Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC
    Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC

    The Hawker Hurricane was a single-seat fighter and, by numbers, the most important fighter of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. It served as an interceptor, night fighter, fighter-bomber, and in ground-attack roles from North Africa to Southeast Asia.

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    Its steel-tube fuselage with fabric covering was easy to repair, and its low wing loading allowed tighter turns than the Spitfire or the Bf 109. However, it was slower than the Bf 109 E and contemporary Spitfires, and the fabric covering was vulnerable to fire. The Mk IIC variant replaced the eight machine guns with four 20 mm cannon, turning the aircraft into the fighter-bomber of the war's second half.

    Manufacturer
    Hawker Aircraft
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 12.19 m · Length 9.83 m
    Engine
    Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, 1185 hp
    Armament
    4 × 20 mm cannon, Hispano Mk II
    Top speed
    547 km/h
    Service ceiling
    10 970 m
    Range
    970 km
  • Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X

    Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X

    The Bristol Beaufighter was a two-seat, twin-engine multi-role combat aircraft derived from the Beaufort torpedo bomber. It served as a night fighter, in low-level strikes, and above all in anti-shipping operations, for which the TF Mk X version — nicknamed "Torbeau" — carried a torpedo.

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    Its size allowed heavy armament and radar equipment to be fitted without a major loss of performance, making it an early radar-equipped night fighter. It was heavy on the controls and considered demanding for inexperienced pilots, particularly on landing. With 5,928 aircraft built and more than 150,000 gross registered tons of shipping sunk, it was Britain's most important anti-shipping aircraft of the war.

    Manufacturer
    Bristol Aeroplane Company
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 17.63 m · Length 12.60 m
    Engine
    2 × Bristol Hercules XVII, 1,600 hp each
    Armament
    4 × 20 mm cannon, Hispano Mk II, 1 × 45 cm torpedo
    Top speed
    515 km/h
    Service ceiling
    5 790 m
    Range
    2 820 km
  • Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
    Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb

    The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter and the only British fighter to remain in continuous production before, during, and after the Second World War. It served as an interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft, and fighter-bomber, with the Mk V becoming the most numerous variant of the war's middle years from 1941 onward.

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    Its elliptical wing offered low drag and housed the undercarriage and armament; the "B" wing combined two cannon with four machine guns. Its small fuel capacity limited range and time over target throughout its service life, and from 1941 the Mk V was outclassed by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. With over 20,000 aircraft built across 24 variants, it is the best-known British aircraft of the war.

    Manufacturer
    Supermarine
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 11.23 m · Length 9.12 m
    Engine
    Rolls-Royce Merlin 45, 1470 hp
    Armament
    2 × 20 mm cannon, Hispano Mk II, 4 × 7.7 mm MG Browning
    Top speed
    595 km/h
    Service ceiling
    11 130 m
    Range
    770 km
  • Hawker Typhoon Mk Ib

    Hawker Typhoon Mk Ib

    The Hawker Typhoon was a single-seat fighter designed as an interceptor that evolved into a fighter-bomber. It flew mainly low-level strikes against trains, vehicle columns, and tanks, and became the Royal Air Force's most important ground-attack aircraft in Normandy.

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    Its powerful Napier Sabre engine gave it high speed at low altitude and allowed it to carry rockets and bombs. Above roughly 6,000 m its performance fell off, ruling it out as a high-altitude fighter; early on it also suffered structural failures at the tail and problems with the still-immature engine. 3,330 aircraft were built between 1941 and 1945, and its role as a rocket-armed fighter-bomber shaped postwar development.

    Manufacturer
    Hawker Aircraft
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 12.67 m · Length 9.74 m
    Engine
    Napier Sabre IIA, 2180 hp
    Armament
    4 × 20 mm cannon, Hispano Mk II, 2 × 454 kg bombs
    Top speed
    679 km/h
    Service ceiling
    9 690 m
    Range
    820 km
  • Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
    Bristol Blenheim Mk IV im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Bristol Blenheim Mk IV

    The Bristol Blenheim was a three-seat, twin-engine light bomber and one of the first British all-metal aircraft to enter series production. It flew daylight raids against shipping and land targets, served in the Mk IF version as a makeshift night fighter, and was deployed in every theatre of the war.

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    On its first flight in 1935 it was faster than most contemporary fighters, which justified its design as a lightly armed fast bomber. That advantage was gone by 1940: against Bf 109s and flak, crews on low-level raids were almost defenceless, and losses were correspondingly high. With 4,422 aircraft built, it carried the brunt of the early RAF bomber offensive until replaced by more capable types.

    Manufacturer
    Bristol Aeroplane Company
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 17.17 m · Length 12.98 m
    Engine
    2 × Bristol Mercury XV, 920 hp each
    Armament
    5 × 7.7 mm MG Browning, 545 kg bombs
    Top speed
    428 km/h
    Service ceiling
    8 310 m
    Range
    2 350 km
  • Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
    Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I

    The Boulton Paul Defiant was a two-seat fighter whose entire armament sat in a hydraulically powered turret behind the pilot. It was intended as an interceptor against unescorted bomber formations and was later used as a night fighter and for target-towing and air-sea rescue.

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    The turret allowed fire to the side and rear, which caught enemy pilots off guard as long as they mistook the aircraft for a Hurricane. With no forward-firing armament and the added weight of the turret, it was slow and poorly manoeuvrable, and effectively defenceless against fighters in a head-on attack; it was withdrawn from daytime operations in August 1940. As a night fighter, however, it achieved the highest kill totals of its category over the winter of 1940/41, before radar-equipped types replaced it.

    Manufacturer
    Boulton Paul Aircraft
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 11.99 m · Length 10.77 m
    Engine
    Rolls-Royce Merlin III, 1030 hp
    Armament
    4 × 7.7 mm MG Browning in a power-operated turret
    Top speed
    489 km/h
    Service ceiling
    9 450 m
    Range
    750 km
  • North American Mustang Mk I
    North American Mustang Mk I im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    North American Mustang Mk I

    The Mustang Mk I was the first production version of the Mustang, developed to order for the British Purchasing Commission around the Allison V-1710 engine. From February 1942 the Royal Air Force flew it with Army Cooperation Command for tactical reconnaissance and ground attack over the Channel and northern France.

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    Thanks to careful aerodynamics and a low-drag radiator, it was about 48 km/h faster than the P-40 with the same engine, and at low altitude even faster than the Spitfire Mk Vc. The Allison engine's single-stage supercharger caused performance to fall off sharply above roughly 4,600 m, which left it unsuited as a high-altitude fighter. Only the later installation of the Rolls-Royce Merlin turned this airframe into the long-range escort fighter P-51B — but the Mk I had already proven the quality of the design.

    Manufacturer
    North American Aviation
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 11.28 m · Length 9.83 m
    Engine
    Allison V-1710-39, 1150 hp
    Armament
    4 × 12.7 mm MG, 4 × 7.7 mm MG Browning
    Top speed
    615 km/h
    Service ceiling
    9 390 m
    Range
    1 030 km
  • Hawker Tempest Mk V
    Hawker Tempest Mk V im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Hawker Tempest Mk V

    The Hawker Tempest was a single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber, developed from the Typhoon with a new, thinner laminar-flow wing. From spring 1944 it was used against V-1 flying bombs, and afterward in ground attack and air combat over northwest Europe.

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    At low and medium altitude it was one of the fastest piston-engine fighters of the war and could even intercept jet aircraft such as the Me 262 during their landing approach. The Napier Sabre engine remained maintenance-heavy and prone to failure, and its range was too short for escort duties. Of roughly 1,394 aircraft built, the majority were Mk Vs, which in the war's final phase filled the gap between piston-engine and jet fighters.

    Manufacturer
    Hawker Aircraft
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 12.50 m · Length 10.26 m
    Engine
    Napier Sabre IIB, 2420 hp
    Armament
    4 × 20 mm cannon, Hispano Mk II, 8 × RP-3 rockets
    Top speed
    700 km/h
    Service ceiling
    11 130 m
    Range
    680 km
  • Handley Page Hampden Mk I

    Handley Page Hampden Mk I

    The Handley Page Hampden was a twin-engine medium bomber with a crew of four and a strikingly narrow fuselage that earned it the nickname "Flying Suitcase." In 1939/40 it was one of RAF Bomber Command's three standard bombers, flying night raids and mine-laying operations, and took part in the first raid on Berlin as well as the Thousand Bomber raid on Cologne. For a bomber of its class it was agile and could be flown almost like a fighter.

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    Its cramped fuselage tired the crew quickly, allowed no swapping of positions, and left the defensive guns only a very limited field of fire, which made it costly to fly in daylight operations. About 1,430 aircraft were built; from 1942 it served mainly as a torpedo aircraft with Coastal Command.

    Manufacturer
    Handley Page
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 21.08 m · Length 16.33 m
    Engine
    2 × Bristol Pegasus XVIII, 1,000 hp each
    Armament
    up to 5 × 7.7 mm MG, 1,814 kg bombs
    Top speed
    398 km/h
    Service ceiling
    5 790 m
    Range
    2 770 km
  • Short Stirling Mk I
    Short Stirling Mk I im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Short Stirling Mk I

    The Short Stirling was the first four-engine heavy bomber to enter service with RAF Bomber Command, flying operationally from February 1941. It flew night raids against German cities, took part in the raid on Lübeck and the Thousand Bomber raid on Cologne, and later served as a glider tug and transport aircraft.

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    It was rugged, pleasant to fly, and more manoeuvrable than its four-engine contemporaries. Its wingspan, limited to about 30 m — a requirement so it would fit into existing hangars — cost it altitude and payload capacity, and its compartmentalised bomb bay could not accommodate bombs heavier than 907 kg. It was therefore withdrawn from bomber duties from 1943 and replaced by the Lancaster and Halifax.

    Manufacturer
    Short Brothers
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 30.20 m · Length 26.59 m
    Engine
    4 × Bristol Hercules XI, 1,500 hp each
    Armament
    8 × 7.7 mm MG Browning, up to 6,350 kg bombs
    Top speed
    454 km/h
    Service ceiling
    5 030 m
    Range
    3 750 km
  • de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo

    de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo

    The de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo was a twin-engine, high-wing airliner for up to 17 passengers and de Havilland's first all-metal aircraft with stressed-skin construction. After the outbreak of war, the Royal Air Force requisitioned the few aircraft built and used them as liaison and transport aircraft, including with No. 24 Squadron and the King's Flight.

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    It was fitted with modern equipment for its time, including retractable undercarriage and variable-pitch propellers, and was seen as a rival to the Douglas DC-3. As a civilian design it carried no armament; in BOAC airline service it was unpopular and suffered from a lack of spare parts. Only 14 examples were built, as wartime production was switched over to combat aircraft.

    Manufacturer
    de Havilland Aircraft Company
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 21.34 m · Length 15.72 m
    Engine
    2 × Bristol Perseus XVI, 930 hp each
    Top speed
    391 km/h
    Service ceiling
    6 370 m
    Range
    2 160 km
  • Avro Lancaster B Mk I
    Avro Lancaster B Mk I im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Avro Lancaster B Mk I

    The Avro Lancaster was a four-engine heavy night bomber with a crew of seven, developed from its unsuccessful twin-engine predecessor, the Manchester. From March 1942 it was the backbone of the British night bomber offensive and also flew special operations such as the raid on the Ruhr dams and the sinking of the "Tirpitz." Its continuous, undivided bomb bay could carry loads no other Allied bomber could handle, up to the 9,979 kg "Grand Slam." It had no downward-firing armament, which let German night fighters attack from its blind spot using the upward-firing "Schräge Musik" cannon installation.

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    With 7,377 aircraft built, it is the best-known bomber of the Royal Air Force.

    Manufacturer
    A. V. Roe and Company (Avro)
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 31.09 m · Length 21.13 m
    Engine
    4 × Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, 1,280 hp each
    Armament
    8 × 7.7 mm MG, up to 6,350 kg bombs
    Top speed
    454 km/h
    Service ceiling
    6 520 m
    Range
    2 530 km
  • Westland Lysander Mk III
    Westland Lysander Mk III im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Westland Lysander Mk III

    The Westland Lysander was a two-seat, high-wing aircraft developed as a liaison and observation type for army cooperation. After suffering heavy losses in that role, it served mainly as a target tug, in air-sea rescue, and for clandestine night flights dropping off and retrieving agents in occupied France.

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    Automatic leading-edge slats and landing flaps gave it pronounced short take-off and landing capability, allowing it to operate from improvised field strips. As a slow, lightly armed aircraft it was completely outmatched by modern fighters: in 1939/40, 118 of the 174 aircraft deployed in France were lost. It became known for flying more than 400 special operations for the Special Operations Executive, in which only two aircraft were lost.

    Manufacturer
    Westland Aircraft
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 15.24 m · Length 9.30 m
    Engine
    Bristol Mercury XX, 870 hp
    Armament
    4 × 7.7 mm MG Browning, up to 227 kg bombs
    Top speed
    341 km/h
    Service ceiling
    6 550 m
    Range
    970 km
  • Gloster Meteor F.8
    Gloster Meteor F.8 im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Gloster Meteor F.8

    The Gloster Meteor was the first operational jet fighter of the British and of the Allies as a whole, flying with No. 616 Squadron from July 1944. During the war it was used against V-1 flying bombs and in ground attack, and after 1945 as a day fighter, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as with Australian units in the Korean War.

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    It needed two engines because the early jet engines individually produced too little thrust; the F.8 version, with the more powerful Derwent 8 engine and an ejection seat, became the most important production variant. Above Mach 0.74 it lost directional stability, and its unswept wing left it outclassed by the MiG-15 in Korea. Roughly 3,900 aircraft were built between 1943 and 1954, with which the Royal Air Force made its transition into the jet age.

    Manufacturer
    Gloster Aircraft Company
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 11.33 m · Length 13.59 m
    Engine
    2 × Rolls-Royce Derwent 8, 16.0 kN each
    Armament
    4 × 20 mm cannon, Hispano Mk V
    Top speed
    966 km/h
    Service ceiling
    13 110 m
    Range
    970 km
  • Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
    Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

    The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine heavy bomber with a crew of ten and the most important aircraft of the American daylight bomber offensive over Europe. It flew high-altitude precision raids against industrial and transport targets; the Royal Air Force received early examples as the Fortress and used them mainly for coastal reconnaissance.

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    Its numerous defensive turrets and rugged airframe made it famous for bringing crews home even after taking heavy damage; the B-17G version added the chin turret to its armament. Until long-range escort fighters became available, unescorted missions against German fighter formations were extremely costly, as the 1943 Schweinfurt raids showed. With 12,731 aircraft built, it formed the backbone of the American bomber force in Europe.

    Manufacturer
    Boeing
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 31.62 m · Length 22.66 m
    Engine
    4 × Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone, 1,200 hp each
    Armament
    13 × 12.7 mm MG Browning M2, up to 3,629 kg bombs
    Top speed
    475 km/h
    Service ceiling
    10 850 m
    Range
    3 220 km

Free DLC

Wings of Valor

Three more machines, free for everyone who owns the game — a promise made during the crowdfunding campaign.

  • de Havilland Mosquito B Mk XVI
    de Havilland Mosquito B Mk XVI im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    de Havilland Mosquito B Mk XVI

    Wings of Valor DLC

    The de Havilland Mosquito was a two-seat, twin-engine multi-role combat aircraft designed as an unarmed fast bomber, and served as a bomber, fighter-bomber, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft. The B Mk XVI version was a pressurised high-altitude bomber that flew target-marking for Bomber Command and, with an enlarged bomb bay, could carry the 1,814 kg "Cookie." Its airframe was built almost entirely from plywood, spruce, and birch with a balsa core, which saved on metal and earned it the name "Wooden Wonder." As a bomber it deliberately carried no defensive armament and relied solely on speed; its wooden construction suffered from moisture and glue damage in the tropics.

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    With over 7,700 aircraft built and the lowest loss rate of any RAF bomber force, it disproved the assumption that a bomber needed turrets and gunners.

    Manufacturer
    de Havilland Aircraft Company
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 16.51 m · Length 13.56 m
    Engine
    2 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 76/77, 1,710 hp each
    Top speed
    668 km/h
    Service ceiling
    11 280 m
    Range
    2 090 km
  • Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk Mk IA
    Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk Mk IA im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk Mk IA

    Wings of Valor DLC

    The Curtiss P-40 was a single-seat fighter which the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth air forces designated Tomahawk in its early variants and Kittyhawk from the P-40D onward. The Kittyhawk Mk IA corresponded to the P-40E and was used mainly in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific as a fighter and fighter-bomber.

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    It was sturdily built, manoeuvrable at low and medium altitude, and could sustain high diving speeds, which made disengagement manoeuvres possible. The Allison engine's single-stage supercharger caused a sharp drop in performance at high altitude, leaving it outclassed by the Bf 109 and Fw 190 in high-altitude combat. With 13,738 aircraft built, it was available in 1941 and 1942 wherever better fighters were lacking, and the Flying Tigers in China made it famous.

    Manufacturer
    Curtiss-Wright
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 11.37 m · Length 9.66 m
    Engine
    Allison V-1710-39, 1240 hp
    Armament
    6 × 12.7 mm MG Browning M2, up to 907 kg bombs
    Top speed
    581 km/h
    Service ceiling
    8 870 m
    Range
    1 150 km
  • de Havilland Vampire FB.6
    de Havilland Vampire FB.6 im Spiel ⛶ Enlarge
    Ingame

    de Havilland Vampire FB.6

    Wings of Valor DLC

    The de Havilland Vampire was the Royal Air Force's second jet fighter and the first to reach its top speed with only a single engine. It entered service after the war's end and was used as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, and trainer, including against insurgents in Malaya; the FB.6 was the export version, acquired above all by Switzerland.

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    Its short central nacelle with twin tail booms kept the intake duct to the engine short and the airframe light, with the nose and cockpit still partly built of wood. Early aircraft had no ejection seat, so — because of the tail booms — bailing out was only reasonably safe while inverted; its unswept wing kept it confined to the subsonic regime. With over 4,400 aircraft built and used by more than 30 air forces, it became the first jet fighter for many countries.

    Manufacturer
    de Havilland Aircraft Company
    Dimensions
    Wingspan 11.58 m · Length 9.37 m
    Engine
    de Havilland Goblin 3, 14.9 kN
    Armament
    4 × 20 mm cannon, Hispano Mk V, 8 × RP-3 rockets
    Top speed
    882 km/h
    Service ceiling
    13 050 m
    Range
    1 960 km